


Coffee and Bouquets of Flowers

by angelictactics



Series: Picnics in the Garden [2]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: Agent 2 3 and 8 are briefly mentioned, Amnesia, Crush at First Sight, F/F, Mission Reports, Mizuta is a lesbian, Music, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Octo Expansion DLC, Recovered Memories, Side Story, Spoilers, Won't be updated as often as T&G
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:14:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24908200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelictactics/pseuds/angelictactics
Summary: Still moments displaced from times pastCherished memories for us allLaid bare like our hearts on our sleeves(Side story for Tea and Gladiolus)
Relationships: Callie/Dedf1sh (Splatoon)
Series: Picnics in the Garden [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981159
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	Coffee and Bouquets of Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> [ SPOILER WARNING: Coffee and Bouquets of Flowers is a side story for my story Tea and Gladiolus. This story should not be read without first reading to Chapter Seven of T&G to prevent spoiling yourself! You have been warned! ]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Lilac - first emotions of love  
>  Striped Carnations - I cannot be with you  
> Zinnia - I mourn your absence ___
> 
> _'There are still things I want to say  
>  Feelings kept deep inside of me   
> That will not reach the light of day.'_
> 
> _  
> _Trespassers cross into Kamabo Corporation territory. A certain DJ scopes out the scene.__  
> 

Ever since the fall of the Commander, existence has been dull. 

Day in and day out, Dedf1sh alone stands watch over the remaining forces of Kamabo Corp. She didn’t ask for the position, but as second-in-command the responsibility falls to her now. Going off the protocol that is constantly fed to her brain by the lenses she wears, the DJ relays orders to the last few squadrons left under her control. 

It’s nothing new. Go here, stand there, make sure no test subjects are off the paths in test chambers - but with the Commander gone, she truthfully doesn’t want to spearhead testing. A couple days ago, Dedf1sh sent out an official order to the conductor of the train under the guise of Kamabo Corp, saying testing has come to a halt. 

She never specified why. She doesn’t think that C. Q. Cumber will care enough to look into it. The sea cucumber just does his job - just like she’s doing hers. 

_ This job feels just like my old one. _

Since she’s become something bigger than herself, since she’s been in this state, Mizuta has been able to reclaim some of her memories. Retrieving the four Thangs was easy - taking her memories back was not. 

There are plenty of gaps in her memories: her favorite foods; her friends, if she had any; the details of her former job; her former life. Just the other day she barely remembered her true name. 

Mizuta Ahato. 

Before then, she simply went by Dedf1sh. How silly the title seems now that she’s almost as good as dead. What would her friends think - if she  _ had _ any, anyway - if they saw her now? Would they help her, or attack her? 

_ Kamabo Co. Protocol No.6. Proposed hypothesis needs testing. Deploy scientific method for results. _

There would be no way to test it, anyway. She doesn’t remember any of her friends. She’s barely starting to remember anything about herself now that Tartar isn't present to suppress her memories. Too many unknown variables are present. It would be a waste of energy to think about hypotheticals. 

Mizuta sighs as she looks over the surveillance cameras, skimming over the feed. She can spot Shinkai City teeming with test subjects milling around the streets, almost restless with nothing to do. The dark streets are lit up with living quarters for each hundred of the seven thousand remaining test subjects. Various different restaurants and stores are placed strategically every few blocks to give subjects some choices. She can spot shadows cast by the ocean above drifting down to the dim streets of the city even through the camera feeds.

Even though they are without a doubt bored to tears, the test subjects are safe here. Mizuta made sure to station soldiers around the perimeter of Shinkai City to that end. 

The conductor of the subway train, C.Q. Cumber, had arranged to collect all of the subjects that were in testing when the shockwave that tore through NILS began to destroy the metro and its testing chambers. Since then, it’s been a waiting game to see if there would be further damage or not. Thankfully the damage never reached further than the east side of lines and only one test subject had gone missing when they managed to do an official headcount. Better one gone than the whole lot of them. 

The name of the subject is familiar to Mizuta, though. Her eyes pass over the file. 

_ Jeanne Takowase.  _

It’s the “Takowase” part that sticks out to her. Jeanne isn’t the first Takowase to pass through the Deepsea Metro by a long shot. In fact, there are hundreds of them down here with their golden hairpins signifying their status. However, looking through her file, it’s a wonder that she stayed for long at all. In two months, Jeanne completed every test. She retrieved the Thangs, but insisted on staying to recover the rest of her memories before leaving for the "Promised Land".

Mizuta wishes she’d taken that path now. Maybe eternity would be a little more entertaining with memories of the past to keep her company.

Now that she’s thinking about it and looking at the file, though, the shockwave that destroyed NILS and blocked her way out happened not long after the test subject recovered the last of her memories. Did she actually escape? 

_ Kamabo Co. Protocol No.2. Search the perimeter for escape routes and block them off for the safety of all test subjects and employees. Make a thorough search of testing grounds.  _

  
That’s what the protocol says, but a quietly rebellious part of her - the part that remembers her real name - wants to go against it. 

_ Mizuta Ahato Protocol No.1… I do what I want when I want.  _

She ignores the Kamabo protocol written into her brain as she peeks over at the right side of the surveillance cameras. The elevators of the Spinal Phase have long since fallen apart. She remembers having to order that girl - Freya, was it? - to stop someone who was hellbent on escaping. Could  _ that _ have been Jeanne? 

There’s no way to know for sure now. Both the girl and the test subject are gone. She doesn’t know what happened to either of them, and the remaining forces under Kamabo's control are stretched thin enough as it is. 

An alarm beeps and rings out abruptly, pulling Dedf1sh out of her thoughts. 

_ “Intruder alert. Unauthorized life forms breaching Kamabo Corp territory. Two life forms of the Inkling species. Armed.”  _

Intruders? 

She hasn’t had things to do for, well, however long this dreadful monotony has lasted. Mizuta rises to her feet, looking for the specific camera detailing which part of Kamabo Corp territory these intruders are trespassing on. 

Villi Phase. Cod, that place is a  _ mess. _

Parts of the phases above it from the Diaphragm phase to the Belly phase have crashed down into it, making the whole area practically uncrossable. It’s a pain to guide troops through it, let alone walk through it.

Either way, Mizuta isn’t about to pass up an opportunity to break apart the monotony of her current daily routine. She’d consider taking weapons, but the idea of tearing hostiles apart with just her claws seems much more entertaining. 

_And if they’re not hostiles, then...maybe I could make a friend._ _Just maybe._

Her mind is more than made up. 

She relays a quick order to the sanitized forces -  _ do not engage _ . That should keep this new occurrence all to herself. 

Dedf1sh makes her way to the Villi Phase. It's not very far from where she's been stationed - the outskirts of Coccyx Phase barely get any activity. Her body aches, tired from sitting in one place for what feels like years. She wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out she’s been in Kamabo her whole life. 

Sounds of conflict ring out as she touches down and approaches the Villi Phase entrance. She can pick out the angry voices of sanitized soldiers.  _ Ugh, I thought I told them to stand down.  _ Mizuta sighs as she pulls out her admin CQ-80, swiping over to the music controls.  _ I’ll have to pacify them now. It must be the straggler group of Peristalsis soldiers again.  _ That particular squadron is composed of troops only recently turned, who haven’t had the time to begin producing their own sanitized ink. 

_ This area must be running low on the sanitization formula. I'm going to have to get more delivered here so I don't have soldiers ignoring my commands. Those withdrawals aren't good. _

A song she barely remembers making -  _ #0 Shell _ \- plays over the remaining speakers in the area. There’s something about the cave noises that calm down the aggressive soldiers easily. Mizuta’s never questioned it. Her past self had a penchant for making music. 

_ Maybe even my current self, too.  _ #13 Shade _ isn’t bad. And that mix I whipped up for that inkling girl when I sent her to attack, that wasn’t bad either.  _

The sounds of fighting fade off. Mizuta weighs her options.  _ Check out the intruders, or scold the stragglers?  _ Despite her irritation, curiosity is winning her over to the first option. She approaches an area of the Villi Phase where the pieces of higher phases have crashed together, forming a chaotic area where the kettle tech clashes. She's lost soldiers in here before. Radio frequencies don't connect as well as they do in more orderly chambers. 

Footsteps hurry away from her position. She spots the dark blue mantles of sanitized soldiers fleeing, having come to their senses. Shortly after the footsteps fade, she hears someone call out. 

"Agent One?! Agent One, where are you?" An old man calls out, shouting with all he's got.

_ Wait a minute. I recognize that voice. _

Mizuta freezes in her tracks. 

_ It's right there below the surface.  _

_ Come on. Remember. _

_ Remember, Ahato. _

She's in the audience at a concert. A king she doesn't remember the name of plans to hold a public execution of an infamous inkling soldier to raise morale. Something-fish was his name. 

She's just happy to be with her two friends, □□□□ and ■■■■■- 

_ Friends. _

_ I had  _ **_friends._ **

Mizuta wheezes as she leans against what remains of a wall, a hand over her heart, the other pressed to her forehead. 

_ Think. What did they look like? I don't want to forget. Not anymore.  _

She remembers the soldier struggling in his bonds, the king laughing as he starts his set. A girl - an inkling girl - arriving to save her captain. Fighting with the king. 

_ Something else happened.  _ Mizuta breathes deeply as she tries to remember.  _ The two girls in the audience, they were my coworkers. We were… we had… _

Right, she was in a band. How could she forget the band where she started? Turquoise October was the foundation for her current sound. 

Sound.

Music. 

_ Music. _

The  _ song. _

It's starting to flood back now. The song. Cod, the song that started everything, of course! She remembers the pop idol duo that sang that day. The melody has been etched into her soul since the moment she regained consciousness in Kamabo - no, even before that! 

Mizuta takes a shaky breath.  _ Marina. Beryl. They must be worried sick. This whole time, I… _

She grabs her arms, bowing her head as she breathes. She had friends. She got separated from them and fell into a kettle trying to stay hidden from the soldiers chasing after her.  _ That’s  _ right. That’s how she got into Kamabo. It makes sense now. 

"Agent One?" 

_ Fuck.  _

Dedf1sh slinks into the shadows, ducking just in time to avoid being seen by the source of the voice. Black shoes and white socks and the barrel of a Bamboozler pass by her, just narrowly missing her. She peeks out, spotting an old man in green clothes with a pair of headphones around his neck. 

Oh. That’s right. He was guiding that test subject through the metro. 

No wait, that’s not all. 

The soldier from the concert, that was him? 

Dedf1sh ducks back into her hiding place, pressing a hand to her forehead.  _ Come on, don’t stop remembering. _ If the soldier was him, and they defeated the king, then… 

Is he here to free them? 

No, he doesn’t have enough supplies for more than two days. Perhaps he’s just here for reconnaissance. He mentioned an agent. Is it more than just him down here? 

_ Wait, yes. The alarm mentioned two inkling life forms.  _ Mizuta peeks out, the old man’s back turned away from her. She could eviscerate him right now if she felt like it. She  _ could, _ but she almost thinks she owes him for indirectly unearthing chunks of her past. 

_ He lives for now.  _

Mizuta easily sneaks around him, slinking back to the entrance of the Villi Phase. The old man doesn’t seem to notice her, so that’s a win in her book. The other inkling is still missing, though. Should she try to find them? Maybe see if they’re hostile or not? 

Yeah, no, she’s absolutely gonna do that. Curiosity is practically eating her alive right now. Mizuta heads over to the rubble of phases clashing together. Her tech isn’t going to be very effective in there, but she’s feeling lucky today. 

Either way, her soldiers get lost in the mosaic area all too easily. Mizuta’s been thinking for a while now about getting the area blocked off to keep wayward nosy people from getting into it. She honestly has no excuse for waiting on it, aside from her personal protocol that says she does what she wants.  _ That _ takes precedence over everything, really. 

Dedf1sh slides down the rubble of shattered test chambers and broken glass as she takes in the surroundings. The sanitized octarians once sealed inside boxes of glass have long since moved on after crash-landing here in the Villi Phase. It was a miracle they survived the fall at all. Dedf1sh sidesteps out of the path left by others scavenging through what remains. 

Stealthily, she makes her way through the various chambers clashing together. The song she’s been playing continues to drone on over the remaining powered speakers, easing Mizuta’s nerves as she combs through the rubble. It almost makes her long to be back in the studio to work on new songs, but this takes precedence. 

Ooh, this spot has a different set of kettle tech. As Mizuta passes through it, the entire atmosphere changes to show scenery from what used to be the Belly Phase. Mizuta ignores her music scratching over broken speakers, stepping further through the area. 

_ “Chopperipo...ssh-shurashurafe / Nannyurunire nif-faherahi…”  _

Mizuta dives into the shadows, ears perking up at the sound.  _ That’s...That’s the song I heard that day. Who’s singing that?  _

__

The voice continues to sing nervously, a feminine voice wavering as the singer stumbles over some words. “Come on, this is - this is nothing. Freya got lost in here too once, so this should be nothing for Callie Cuttlefish, right..?” Despite the singer’s attempt at a pep talk, they sigh quietly. A soft yet nervous whine rings out in the dilapidated halls. 

_ Freya. This person knows Freya?  _

_ Callie Cuttlefish…  _

Despite herself, Dedf1sh peeks around as she tries to find the source of the voice. They walk further into the minefield of kettle tech clashing, drawn by the song. 

_ “Ya weni marei… mirekyarahire / jyuri yu mirekerason… _ Wait, what’s that?” The voice quiets down, still distant from Mizuta. “Music…” 

_ Oh. Oh right. My music is still playing over the speakers, fuck.  _

Mizuta scrambles for her CQ-80, somehow embarrassed at the fact that this person heard her song.  _ Why is this one different? I wasn’t nervous about people hearing my music before, but…  _

“How pretty… Like water dripping off stalactites. Where is it coming from..?” The singer trails off, humming along to the chords of  _ #0 - Shell _ . 

_ Oh Cod, their voice is so pretty. They’re probably good enough to be an idol… And they’re humming along to  _ _ my _ _ music. What the hell.  _

Something flutters in her throat - odd, she didn’t think she was still capable of feelings - as Mizuta fumbles over the CQ-80 controls, her finger hovering over the ‘stop’ button. 

The humming is what stops her. She can’t seem to get herself to press the button when someone with such a gorgeous voice is singing to her music.  _ Maybe… _

Mizuta scrolls through her setlist, looking for a certain song.  _ #0 - Shell _ isn’t enough for her right now. Maybe something else -  _ Shade _ ? No, that’s not the right vibe. 

She stops at one song, peeking at her surroundings before she picks it.  _ I still don’t see anyone, but… maybe this will guide them.  _

Before she can stop herself, Mizuta hits play. The speakers in the vicinity begin to ring out with the dulcet tones of  _ #8 - Regret. _ She can hear the singer gasp in surprise, listening intently. 

“How beautiful… It’s lovely, yet feels almost sad,” the singer muses, following the sound. They seem a little further away from Mizuta now - maybe a few test chambers. 

Mizuta checks the vicinity on her CQ-80, looking for any chambers that might be powered down after the fall. There’s one a bit away from her near the entrance. That could be helpful. It wouldn’t do for this singer to be trapped down here in this place - not when Mizuta can do something about it. 

The DJ quietly switches off speakers leading away from the entrance, redirecting power to the functional ones on the path out. If the Inkling is smart - doubtful as that is, given the majority of their species - they could figure out where the music leads. Mizuta ducks into the shadows as she stays on the lookout for the singer. 

_ I… really want to see them, _ Mizuta realizes.  _ Their voice is beautiful… I wonder if they'd want to be friends.  _

_ Kamabo Co. Protocol No.13: Employees must refrain from making bonds of friendship with test subjects to prevent bias in testing. _

Well, this Inkling  _ definitely _ isn't a test subject, so it's fine, right? Mizuta holds her breath in anticipation as the sound of footsteps approaches. 

An Inkling girl - a stunningly beautiful Inkling girl, at that - wanders into the dilapidated area that used to be part of the Belly Phase as she follows the music. Her black tentacles are tied back in a cute bow, the ends speckled with a bright pink pattern. Golden eyes accentuated by eyeliner scan the area for threats. The Inkling is dressed in some familiar gear - the same that the other Inkling girl was wearing, just with a hot pink cape and the number 1. 

This must be Agent One, then. 

"Is anybody there?" Agent One calls out, her odd-looking shoes tapping against the pavement. "It's okay to come out, I won't hurt you! We're looking for people trapped down here!" 

They are? Are these two really here to free them? Could she really see the sun again? 

Mizuta peeks out, trying to catch a glimpse of a weapon. She can spot a roller strapped to the agent's back, but judging by her posture, she doesn't seem to want to resort to it. 

_ I think… I can trust this Inkling.  _

She's made up her mind. Mizuta musters up her courage as she slinks over in the direction of the powered down test chamber. She peeks out from cover, the tentacle draping down the front of her face curling slightly. 

"Oh!" The agent gasps in surprise, but not in the potentially threatening way. "Hello there! Are you lost too?" 

_ Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Why am I so-?  _ Nerves twist up in the pit of Dedf1sh's stomach. She nods, even though she's definitely not lost. 

"That's okay! I'm looking for my Gramps, but maybe we can go look together." The Inkling doesn't  _ seem  _ aggressive. Almost amicable. She smiles gently, stepping closer. "My name is Callie. What's yours?" 

_ Fuck. Fuck. Say something. Anything. Why is this so hard? _

When Dedf1sh doesn't answer right away, the agent - Callie, her name is  _ Callie,  _ don't forget it - smiles sheepishly. "It's okay. Are you shy? You don't have to worry. I won't hurt you." 

Mizuta finds herself nodding furiously at the question. Something about this girl is making her so  _ flustered. _ She can't quite put her finger on why. Despite her embarrassment, Dedf1sh leads the way, walking further down the hall of broken test chambers. 

Callie seems to not have any issue with talking to strangers. She talks about her family as Mizuta walks with her, talking about her cousin who's pretty much a sister to her and a girl that's arrogant and stubborn but with a heart of gold nonetheless. The agent paints out a vivid canvas in Mizuta's head of what her family must be like. She doesn't press Mizuta to share anything about  _ her _ life, though. That marks Callie down as a kind and considerate person in Mizuta's book. She's much more content listening to her than sharing things about her personal life - a life that's already full enough of holes as it is. 

"Hey, you live down here, right?" Callie asks, pulling Mizuta out of her thoughts. 

The DJ nods silently, keeping her face even. 

"There are others down here too then, right?" 

Again, Dedf1sh nods. She can kind of tell where this is going.

"Wouldn't you want to head up to the surface now that Commander What's-his-face is gone? Or are you guys all trapped down here?" 

Oh, that's complicated to answer. That complexity must be clear on Mizuta's face, because Callie makes a little noise. 

"It's complicated, huh?"

Another nod. Callie reaches out for Mizuta's hand, the motion almost making the DJ panic. Gentle, square fingers with the ends dipped hot pink close around her claws, the gesture making  _ something _ in Mizuta's heart move. Seeing her red and black claws and sickly green skin surrounded by warm tones and warm hands feels - well,  _ right. _

"It's going to be okay. We're going to find a way to get everyone down here free, I promise. So don't look so sad, okay?" 

Sad? Was she sad? Mizuta's free hand goes up to her face, feeling her cheek. A quiet gasp of surprise escapes her as she notices the trickle of stained blue tears pooling behind her hypnoshades. 

_ Tears? _

"Oh my Cod, did I make you cry?! Oh buckets, I didn't mean to! I'm so sorry!" Callie gasps, her warm hands holding onto Mizuta's like a lifeline. It feels so comforting yet so  _ foreign.  _ Is she really that touch starved?

Mizuta shakes her head fervently, wiping her eyes carefully with a clawed finger. This girl is awakening so many emotions she’d thought were sealed away along with her free will. It's so odd to think one girl from the surface could do such a thing, but at the same time it is so relieving to know that those moments, those  _ feelings _ , weren't locked away forever. 

Mizuta's other hand cups Callie's, some warm feeling welling up inside her chest. Something flashes across Callie’s face: a dusting of bright pink on her cheeks. 

“Thank you,” Mizuta manages to say quietly, the sensation in her chest swelling up. It feels like she’s going to float away right here, right now. 

It’s Callie’s turn to be rendered speechless apparently. She sputters something as her face turns hot pink and lets go of Mizuta’s hand, but holds a hand out to presumably take into Mizuta’s. “S-sure… It’s all good! Um, should we..?” 

Oh, she doesn’t remember the last time she held hands with someone. Mizuta curls her fingers around Callie’s, carefully avoiding pricking her hand with her claws. A fluttering feeling pounds away in her heart, warmth pooling in her face behind her cheeks. 

They continue down the hall with their hands linked for a little while longer. Callie chatters about the strangest things - the color of the sky, whether Mizuta likes cake or ice cream (she hasn’t had either), if there are pets down in the Deepsea Metro (not really), and other topics. 

“Oh, is this the way out?” Callie murmurs, letting go of Mizuta’s hand to stare at her surroundings. 

The two stop at an unpowered test chamber, the exit visible from where they stand. The plain white walls of the chamber remind Mizuta of a cardboard box. It’s bland and boring, even for her. Mizuta nods at Callie’s question, something tugging at her heart. 

_ I… I don’t want her to go just yet, but she has to leave.  _

_ She belongs up there in the sun, after all. I belong here, in the shadows.  _

“Hey… Why don’t you come with me?” the agent asks, a look of excitement in her eyes like she’s about to go for something reckless and potentially dangerous but so,  _ so _ much fun. She smiles invitingly, holding out a hand. “We can get you situated up on the surface. I’ve got friends just like you! Maybe not all of them are as green, but you’d fit right in with all of them.” 

_ She wants me to go with her?  _

Dedf1sh’s heart beats in double time, the warmth flooding back. She can't look away from Callie's hand or face or smile. 

_ I… I want to go. _

_ Cod, I REALLY want to go.  _

_ But…  _

“Agent One?!” The voice of the elderly Inkling rings out, startling the both of them. He’s not far from them now, judging by the crunching of rubble beneath surface shoes. “Agent One, where are you?!” 

“Gramps!” Callie calls out, the sound bouncing off the walls. Her tentacles whirl as she spins in the direction of the other Inkling’s voice. “Gramps, I’m over here!” 

_ I should go. I shouldn’t- _

Mizuta’s feet move before her thoughts catch up, a nervous feeling rising in the pit of her stomach. She runs out of sight while the agent’s back is turned, sparing her just one glance. 

“Come on, let’s - huh?” Callie’s voice drops as she finds herself talking to the open air. Guilt stabs into Mizuta like a syringe of sanitization formula that missed the vein. “Where did they-?” 

“Callie!” The elderly Inkling calls again, his voice much closer this time. 

“Whoever you are, thank you so much!” the agent calls out, a soft look of sadness flashing across her face before she leaves. 

In the shadows, Mizuta holds a hand to her heart. 

_ That… may have been the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.  _

_ Forgive me, Callie. I still have some work to do…  _

_ One day, I hope we can meet again. _

-💙💚🐙💚💙-

"What's wrong, Miss Commander?" 

Mizuta peels her eyes away from the surveillance camera feeds. C.Q. Cumber stands nearby, here on yet another one of his visits to persuade her to reopen the Deepsea Metro. 

"It's nothing," she mumbles, annoyance seeping into her tone. Shinkai City is, once again, quiet and peaceful - but every ounce restless. The people are getting antsy with the orders she's relayed to the troops. "I thought I told you to stop calling me 'Miss Commander,' too." 

"If it was nothing, your shoulders would not be slumped in such a manner." The conductor scoots closer to the sleek swivel chair Mizuta sits upon. "And forgive me. I simply want to show you the respect your position deserves." 

"I didn't  _ earn _ this position, C.Q.. I inherited it."  _ I know he just wants to get that subway going again, but this is annoying. _ Mizuta tries to not make irritation plain on her face. 

"I inherited this position as well. The Deepsea Metro was run by my predecessor, and their predecessor, and so on. The Metro has always been run by us sea cucumbers.” 

“Your point being?” 

C.Q. Cumber bristles quietly. “We do the best with what we are given.” 

_ Doing the best with what I’m given…  _

Mizuta frowns ever so subtly. “I’m not reopening the Metro with the risk of collapse still present.” 

“It was worth a shot,” C.Q. Cumber mumbles. 

“You really tried that time, I’ll give you that. Go on, now. Get out,” Mizuta grinds out, shooing him away with a dismissive hand. “I’ve got work to do.” 

“Fine. I will leave you to your devices, Miss Co-” 

_ “Dedf1sh. _ It’s Dedf1sh.” 

“As you wish, Miss Dedf1sh. Farewell… and please, take care.” 

With that, the conductor finally leaves her be. A quiet sigh escapes Mizuta as she leans over the desk. She should be filling out a report for documentation’s sake, in the event those Inklings return and prove themselves to be a danger to Deepsea Society - but she just can’t bring herself to bother. Thinking about the Inklings just reminds her of the opportunity she gave up. 

_ Wherever you are, Callie, I hope it’s better than it is down here. _

For now, Mizuta opens up an empty report. 

**[ Official Report Detailing the Trespassers in the Remains of NILS** **XX/XX/XXXX**

**Kamabo Corporation Surveillance Headquarters**

**Commander** ~~**Mizuta Ahato-** ~~ **Dedf1sh** **00:14**

**The Inklings known as Captain Cuttlefish and Agent One are non-threatening and are to be treated with utmost respect on the occasion they make a reappearance on Kamabo Corporation grounds.**

**If the two Inklings are confirmed to be trespassing on Kamabo Corporation grounds, they are to be unharmed and transported directly to Commander Dedf1sh along with their companions. Failure to bring them unharmed will result in punishment and demotion.**

**Thus concludes the report. ]**

There, that should do it. 

Mizuta signs her name on the bottom, scanning it into the system. If Callie and her compatriots return, she’ll know. Satisfied with that, Mizuta leans back in her chair as she spectates the test subjects inhabiting Shinkai City. 

If Callie returns…

No, not if.  _ When  _ Callie returns. 

When Callie returns, Mizuta will do what she can with what she has to help the subjects trapped down here with her. 

How lovely it would be to see the sun again. The  _ real  _ sun, not the simulated light she sees all the time in the domes and test chambers. She could see the sun again, with Callie and Marina and Beryl, if the others are still up there. 

_ Even if this is just wishful thinking or some fool’s dream…  _

_ I want to believe in a future where I don’t have to stay in the shadows.  _

_ One day…  _

_ One day, that future will become reality.  _

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
